Media Statement on Eskom Task Team meeting chaired by Deputy President David Mabuza

Deputy President David Mabuza today, Thursday, 20 February 2020, convened the inaugural meeting of the Eskom Task Team, formerly known as the Eskom War Room, at Tuynhuys, Cape Town.

The Task Team, chaired by Deputy President Mabuza was established by President Cyril Ramaphosa to, amongst others, provide political oversight and address the Eskom power generation crisis as well as look at effective implementation mechanisms of the National Emergency Response Plan.

It brings together various strategic role players with the aim of developing a comprehensive approach and coordination of efforts to ensure that the power utility is supported in its implementation of a turnaround plan.

In this regard, Government views the process of ensuring security of energy supply, as one of the critical prerequisites for investment, development and sustained economic growth. 

“Today’s meeting is in recognition that swift and decisive action needs to be taken to respond to the prevailing crisis of energy supply, which is informed by challenges in Eskom. We thus have to urgently address the negative impact that power outages is having on the daily lives of the people and the economy. The roadmap presented by Eskom gives an indication that there is now a focused approach to how we respond to this crisis in a much more concrete manner. All relevant stakeholders must work together with speed and be focused on resolving this crisis,” said Deputy President Mabuza.  

The Task Team includes the Ministers of Public Enterprises, Mineral Resources and Energy, Finance, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, State Security, Police, the Presidency and representatives of Eskom.

To further strengthen the work of the Eskom Task Team, a Technical Team has been established to provide strategic technical support and expert input to the process.

The Technical Team will meet weekly to assess progress being made in the implementation of measures proposed by the Eskom Task Team chaired by Deputy President Mabuza.
 

Media enquiries: Sam Matome Bopape on 082 318 5251

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria